This morning we leave the confines of the hotel and set the navigation computer on a bearing north. Not that we’ve particularly kept to said confines although a couple early nights after long days on the tourist trail have been had.
It must be said I am looking forward to getting home after essentially a month away with occasional visits to the shire to do the laundry and power nap. We are very much coming to the best part of the year. Spring is in full flow. What changes will there be to see in the garden?
Some of the sycamores will be becoming more established and need removing. The wildflower meadow had shown no signs of renewed life before we left home but there may be some green shoots there when we get home. Lots of leaves still though. We also want to plant a couple of rows of peachy and pink dahlias for reasons that will become apparent.
Our lawn is gradually being consumed by non grass planting. THG is talking about a new veg plot in front of the kitchen. Makes sense doesn’t it? “I’ll just nip out for some runner beans. Back in ten seconds.” This doesn’t mean to say we won’t have a lawn. Just one of a shrinking variety. The bugs have helped here. The lawn was somewhat devastated over the winter. Problem is you need ot work on a lawn.
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Just been down for breakfast. Didn’t quite hobble quickly enough to the lift before the door closed and I guess the woman in the white top didn’t notice me as she was staring into her phone. So I called the lift and when it opened a very similar looking woman in a white top came out saying “third floor, yes this is what I want”. I thought they were the same woman. Odd I thought. Hey…
Then when I was getting some orange juice a member of staff showed a woman the location of the vegan section at the buffet. The women in the white top! Funny what you notice innit.
In the car park a joiner was shaving a piece of two be two with what looked to be an electric plane. Then he carefully picked up the shavings and put them in the back of his van. V tidy I thought. He walked into the hotel carrying the slightly smaller two be two. Couple of minutes later he came back out with the same bit of wood. No idea what’s going on ere. Then back into the hotel he went, with the wood.
After that, out he came and picked out a piece of flat plywood from his van which he proceeded to cut to size on a workbench. That’s where I left him. The van had “Crown” written on the side.
Checking out shortly. More in due course I daresay.
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Karen, KAREN. The whole crowd joined in. One of the marathon runners had arranged to meet Karen just where we were standing. Karen did not show. Poor man. He had just run 12 miles to get to her and there she was not.
Think of the disappointment. What’s the back story? Did Karen choose the moment to leave him? Was she held up? Was she involved in an accident on her way there and there is no way of getting the message to him.
It was a moment of drama that passed by and has now disappeared into the aether, forever. We will never find out how the story ended. Karen, Karen, Karen, Karen, Karen.
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Bridge ECML-10, Holloway. Passed under it to get back to the hotel from Highgate Cemetery. We were waiting in a queue of traffic. Funny what you notice innit. Just googled it whilst sat on the train waiting to depart. Blow me down we are about to go over Bridge ECML-10. It’s on the East Coast Main Line. How cool is that? Obvious when you think about it. Had originally got it down as ECMI not ECML.
Meanwhile, sat as I am in seat E8 on the 10.06, a train has just pulled in next to us on platform 8. The door marked “CREW USE ONLY” Has a symbol beneath it: Golden Spanner 2023 IC225 Fleet. I asked a member of staff but she had no idea and suggested I googled it which I did.
Another result. The Golden Spanner is awarded by “Modern Railways”. The 2023 awards had a record 450 attendees. Wots not to like. Was a hot ticket with after-lunch speaker John Smith, CEO of GB Railfreight, sharing his reflections on train maintenance.
I unashamedly suggest you check it out here https://www.modernrailways.com/…/record-attendance-2023…
My actual reserved seat is E6 btw but we’ve spread out onto the table for 4 and am in an unreserved seat. If the carriage fills up I’ll go back to my originally allocated place obvs.
You can google Bridge ECMI-10, Holloway if you want more deets.
This year btw is the 200th anniversary of the founding of the railways in the UK but I guess you already knew that.
Another snippet of information gleaned on the train is that the old diesel stock pictured is destined for use in the main timetable as of December 2025. They are slower and less efficient than the new Azumas and haul nine carriages instead of the now standard five. They are being reduced to seven carriages for the December timetable change in order to make them more economical to run.
Wonderful what you can find on tinterweb innit.
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Back in the shire. Sycamores had invaded the wildflower meadow so I took the mower to them. None of the flowers are coming through yet. Just sycamore and the odd weed. Don’t mind the odd weed. I may scatter some more seed just to “add body”. Got a load left in the box and been thinking about where I might sow it anyway. I also have a spot in the corner in mind.
Also mowed the lawn, fwiw.